The Last of Dragon Blood
by hellzboy
Summary: A Tenth Companion fic. OC/LG. Gandalf invites a friend to come to Lord Elrond's council to hopefully join them in the quest for the destruction of the ring. What will this man bring to the fellowship? Read to find out.
1. Prologue

_**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own Lord of The Rings. Only my OCs.

**_Warning:_** No Beta and is slash.

* * *

_**The Last of Dragon Blood**_

[_Prologue_]

_**T.A 3018, **_**Nineteenth of September. **_**Gwaihir drops Gandalf on the fields of Edoras.**_

"Thank you my friend." Gandalf sighed out tiredly as he delicately climbed down from the back of the large eagle's back. Gwaihir, the eagle, only remained silent and waited for the old Istari to gain his foothold before taking a few paces away to face the man. Gandalf once again sighed tiredly and lowered his head as if in prayer.

"Gwaihir, my friend," Gandalf called, "I am sorry to say that we are once again to prepare for a war that is to come." He raised his head and stared firmly at the giant eagle's proud head as he confessed. "Saruman the White has betrayed the Council of old and is now in alliance with our Enemy," here, he straightened his back firmly as he addressed his friend, Gwaihir, Lord of the Eagles with a strong voice. "We must now call upon the old alliances in hopes of overcoming the gathering dark forces and finally putting an end to the Dark Lord." Gandalf declared to which Gwaihir raised his massive body and stretched out his wings in a gesture of his acceptance and display of power before lowering his head down to the Grey Istari.

"_Whether it is past or future, the guardians of Arda will provide help when needed. Give us a call, Gandalf the Grey and we will answer."_ Gandalf placed a hand on Gwaihir's head in thanks and whispered a final plea before his feathered friend took to the skies.

"I once again give my thanks to you and yours, Gwaihir. And I shall accept your given help then. _Will you…?_"

* * *

_**T.A 3018,**_ **Twenty-fifth of October. **_**The Council of Elrond gathers in morning light.**_

Frodo Baggins of Bag End, a hobbit from the Shire, shifted nervously on his seat next to Gandalf as he tried not to make eye contact on the many men, elves, and dwarrows gathered together for Lord Elrond of Rivendell's Council. As the anomaly that is he in this place of gathered warriors, he also did not want to speak in fear of inciting a war brewing in the tense atmosphere of gathered _rivals. _He swore that the atmosphere was so thick he could cut it through with a knife. Gandalf eyed him with mirth as he puffed out a smoke ring from his pipe.

"Do not worry so much, Frodo." The Grey Istar spoke in a low whisper that only he can hear; besides he imagined, the elves. "It is better to ignore them than to acknowledge them until Lord Elrond arrives. Let them deal with their petty rivalry themselves." A snort from beside the old man was heard which could only mean that their friend Strider, the ranger, had heard as well. Frodo's lips twitched and tried to better control himself but gave a thankful glance at Gandalf as he felt himself relax in his seat at the right end of their semi-circle. He was also thankful that he did not have to wait long as the awaited elf lord made his appearance with a few of the High Lord following behind him. They all stood in respect and he gave a smile as one familiar golden haired elf passed by and took a glance at him, receiving a nod and friendly smile back from him. They all sat back down once Lord Elrond gave his thanks and sat himself down from across the gathered council. He opened his mouth to start the council but was mildly surprised when Gandalf stood back up in attention.

"Mithrandir?" A puzzled Lord Elrond called.

"Ah." Gandalf uttered as he hid his pipe in his grey robes. "Before we start this council, I implore a few more minutes to wait as I imagine we have one more guest that has yet to arrive." With this statement, a lot of furrowing of the eyebrows were given and would have been a comical sight to see if not for the frustration of having waited long enough. A dwarf with the usual thick demeanor of its fore-bearers rose up in rage.

"'WAIT', you say?!" he snarled. "We've been waiting long enough with these _insufferable elves_ in our presence and you _implore_ _more time_, you say?!" A few, if not all, of the dwarves started nodding in agreement with the same frustrated look in their eyes seen even through their thick hairs and Frodo could see the elves from their side of the circle glance upon the dwarves with affronted faces but nonetheless in agreement with the red headed dwarf. His hands unconsciously gripped the arms of his chair and worriedly turned his gaze to Gandalf with a thought of having the need to duck and cover should a fight commence. Though, even with a weapon in the dwarf's hands, Gandalf stood relaxed with a lean on his staff and Lord Elrond raised a hand, imploring the dwarf to stand down as he regarded the resident wizard.

"And who is this person you speak of, Mithrandir?" Lord Elrond asked but Frodo could hear an edge to a voice that as a hobbit, he could not understand but knew it did not spoke in any way of their years of friendship. He swallowed uneasily as he watched nervously from the sidelines, hoping that the person Gandalf had asked them to wait for would show up soon. He saw Gandalf open his mouth to speak but paused as if he had sensed something near. He spoke again after a moment.

"Ah. It appears that you will see soon enough as he had just arrived." Gandalf told them mysteriously and sat back down. Lord Elrond was to say something before one elf from what Frodo recognized as a soldier stationed at the gates of Imladris showed up, bowed and spoke in a whisper to Lord Elrond, who promptly looked at Gandalf before whispering a reply back. Probably to escort Gandalf's guest to the Council, Frodo guessed.

The Council spoke in their own groups with hushed whispers as they waited for their last member to arrive and quietened down when the soldier elf returned with a tall black cloaked of a man –as tall as the elf who had raced him to Rivendell- with a hood that covered his face similar of when he and his friends first noticed Strider in Bree which felt like a life time ago. The soldier elf bowed to the council before leaving the black cloaked man to himself with censured eyes upon him. Frodo immediately felt for this person for even as a stranger to be gazed upon with such eyes, no matter whom it may be would be uncomfortable. Gandalf merely stood as did Lord Elrond to greet the late arrival but with less familiarity as the old Istar. Eyes upon eyes followed as the newcomer slowly lowered his hood which at once filled Frodo's vision with what he thought to be the darkest shade of black that he had ever seen on a human before. '_No. Not human_' Frodo observed. '_He doesn't feel like any of the men that are gathered nor does he feel like one of the elves_'. When his eyes sighted upon the stranger's own, a blast of raw power suddenly came upon him in waves.

Long black hair that shone as if made from silk, with eyes so dark that when gazed upon, felt as if you were to drown in them. Tall, broad-shouldered and with a powerful stance this man surpassed even Strider's hardened aura –and even of some of the mightiest warrior elf if Frodo ever met one- but with a presence so strong that it came with it suspicion, caution and sometimes even, _contempt_. Already, Frodo could see the judging eyes of the men as Gandalf conversed with the mysterious figure and the scrutinizing stares of the dwarrows yet curiously, the elves seemed to be intrigued by the stranger than what is expected by their kind; that is, to be wary of strangers. Strider, Frodo realized, seemed to be the only one at-ease with the stranger thus relaxing on his seat as he –aside from Gandalf- were the only ones he could trust on with their safety after the long arduous journey that they had had.

Gandalf finally turned and introduced him to the delight of their curiosity.

[_End_]

* * *

Any type of criticism is accepted. ^^


	2. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own Lord of the Rings. Only the Ocs.

**_Warning:_** No Beta. Has slash.

* * *

[_Chapter 1_]

_**T.A 3018,**_ **Twenty-fifth of October.**

Sinthra gazed upon the beauty of Imladris on top of his black gelding as he thought about the invitation from his incomprehensible istari friend and hesitated.

He knew what it was about that had his friend requesting for his help. He had not been travelling alone for _decades_ to not have seen and heard the signs of an incoming _war._ It was hard not to miss, if one thought about it. The orcs had been gathering in larger numbers too much for an independent and stubborn species such as them to be ruled by one leader alone. And the goblins he had seen traversing about above ground, far from their caves than they usually would. It wouldn't be hard to guess that both species were immobilizing themselves in preparation for a large scale battle. This, along with Lord Elrond's hasty request of a Council with the old alliances of all things… He frowned in distaste. His horsed stomped impatiently and he clicked his tongue as he trotted his horse forward toward the path to the entrance of the Last Homely House of Middle Earth.

As expected, the stationed guards greeted his arrival with concealed arrows aimed at his person with no knowledge of him having already spotted their hidden positions. He reined in his horse as per requested of them and answered unresistingly of his reasons behind his unannounced visit to Imladris, knowing that with these ready-to-pounce hardened elves would strike if he so much as _flinch_ before their sharp eyes. Such is the effect of imminent war. '_Still,'_ he thought as he narrowed his gaze, unmoving on top of his horse, '_they seem to be too battle ready for a fight… Something must have happened.'_ He concluded in his head as he waited. He had only to wait for a few minutes before the dark haired elf returned with confirmation of his identity. He took a subtle glance around the perimeter and caught sight of the hidden elves lowering their bows as he dismounted and passed the reins to one of the stationed guards.

"Give him food and water but leave the rest to me." He ordered the elf to which he received a nod on and patted his stallion twice before it was guided away to the stables.

"If you would follow me." The elf politely requested with a gesture.

Sinthra followed him through the halls of Rivendell, only to stop upon an open courtyard filled with people of different races, seated in a circle with a plinth in the middle. He gazed each of the seated persons, identifying some of noted figures and a familiar Ranger that he had once come across on a journey in the North. He turned his attention to the tall, dark brown haired elf that had stood in greeting whom he assumed to be the glorified Elf Lord of Rivendell, Lord Elrond and to the nearing grey old Istari whom he considered as a friend, Gandalf. His hands reached to lower his hood, not missing the stares of the members, and gave a look at Gandalf's twinkling eyes. He scowled at him, '_manipulative old man'_ his eyes conveyed to the laughing eyes of the wizard.

"It is good to see you old friend." Gandalf greeted cheerfully as he placed a welcoming hand on his shoulder. "I almost thought that you wouldn't make it." He whispered to which he earned a 'look' from Sinthra's dark gaze.

"I had my reservations." Sinthra said simply in an equally low tone before Gandalf's merrily laughing eyes as he turned and gestured to the Council.

"Members of the Council, let me introduce to you, my friend, Sinthra, son of Aianir." He introduced grandly. Lord Elrond's eyes suddenly widened in shock of the name and Sinthra turned to him with a respectful bow of his head.

"Lord Elrond," He greeted in kind before straightening. "It has been an extensive amount of years to be able to finally meet you. My father had expressed his wishes of being able to see you and thanking you of your kind generosity towards our kin but has sadly passed on before he could. As to that, I humbly thank you in his stead. My people, though few, are in your debt." He bowed lower at him with closed eyes. "Ask anything of us and we will do what we can to answer." He felt a few, if not all, eyes in astonishment of his display of deference to the Lord Elf and with his closed eyes, he had missed the accusing gaze of Lord Elrond's to the old grey Istari beside him before he once again straightened up.

"I did not know that Aianir had a son, nor heard the news of his death, might I ask when this was?" Lord Elrond enquired sadly. Sinthra once again closed his eyes for but a moment before giving a quick glance towards their audience.

"I cannot say at the moment." Fortunately, the members of the Council respected his privacy enough not to argue as Lord Elrond nodded in understanding before gesturing to him an empty seat next to what Sinthra identified as a hobbit with brown curly hair and bright blue, honest eyes typical of their species. His ears twitched as a bush nearby shook, unnoticed by many but the elves. He nodded in greeting at the nervous hobbit and sat as he silently watched the commencing of the Council of the Ring.

* * *

**[**_**Lord of the Ring: The Fellowship of the Ring**_**]**

Sinthra watched in lackluster at the notorious captain of the White Castle speaking about things that, in his opinion, the captain did not understand. '_Use the Ring he says,'_ He scoffed inwardly with flat eyes, '_If only it were to be that easy.'_ He felt the stare of Gandalf but did not to turn to answer as he was still annoyed at him for uttering a language that he still had after affects from. It hurt his head and he had to squint in an effort to clear the blur of his gaze. He may be the fastest of his kind to alleviate the pain from hearing the cursed language clearly spoken, but it did not mean that it had not affected him so. It seemed that in his long years of having not heard the language, it had strongly evolved into a piercing pain to the mind. He had to get used to it again.

"You cannot wield it!" A familiar raw tone of a voice snapped him from his thoughts as the Council turned as one to the elf-clothed human Ranger. "None of us can." Strider stressed. "The one Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master."

"And what does a _Ranger_ know of this?" Boromir of Gondor asked with disdain at the casually seated dark brown haired man. He quirked a brow when a fair elf, who he had almost mistook for a woman, with his soft looking blonde hair and striking blue eyes stood in defense for Strider's honor.

"He is no _mere_ Ranger," He accosted. "He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance." He boldly proclaimed to the Gondorian. Sinthra raised a brow in interest at that bold announcement as he turned to look at the Ranger whom he only knew as the Cheiftain of the Dunedain. '_So this is the son of Arathorn. I had wondered if that man had ever married. His father must have been proud of that wedding.'_ He reminisced.

It had been _decades_ but he did seem to remember the name and his short time with its generation. Arathorn had been a serious man, similar to him but more lax to his people. His father had always commented to him about it being a miracle if he ever lived enough to see a grandchild from any of his sons. It was a short trip, just a little over seven days but it had been relaxing despite the cautious suspicion of him. In the end, after having gained their trust by saving them from having been ambushed by wrong impressions the orcs were giving them –despite how they looked, they had some brains-, he left them with a healthy amount of friendly pats on the back.

"Gondor has no _king_." Sinthra blinked -having surprisingly noticed that the elf was back on his seat- as he returned his attention back to the Council and watched as Boromir spat the word indignantly at the now dubbed, Aragorn. "Gondor _needs no king._" He sat once he finished. Gandalf took the Council's attention back to the matter at hand.

"Aragorn is right." The old Istari said. "We cannot use the Ring."

"Then you only have but one choice. The Ring must be destroyed." Lord Elrond declared causing a deaden silence amongst the members. Sinthra leaned an elbow on the right arm of his chair and rested his cheek against his knuckles as he waited for a volunteer. Surprisingly, -or not so surprising-, a dwarf with long thick red hair and matching beard stood up, jolting some of the members from their deepened thoughts.

"Then what are we waiting for?!" He bawled out, grabbing an axe from beside his seat and lunging towards the plinth with a swing of his weapon.

He gave a war cry as he swung the axe down only to be repelled forcefully back with a crash at the slightest touch of the blade, towards the unlucky men and dwarrows sitting behind him. He watched as some of their kind stood to help their fallen comrades but veered down when he noticed his neighbor of a hobbit with creased brows and turning away from the Ring in pain as if he was the one struck by the axe. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion as his ears twitched at the angry whispers the Ring produced, not missing the glance Gandalf had also given the hobbit.

"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, by any craft that we here poccess." Sinthra wrenched his stare from Frodo to the Council as Lord Elrond explained to them. "The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom and only there can it be undone. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back in the fiery chasm from whence it came." Sinthra's ears twitched again from sensitive hearing and gave an unbidden flinch when the Ring whispered loudly as if in retaliation of being destroyed. "One of you must do this." Lord Elrond said with a tone of finality.

"One does not simply walk into Mordor." Boromir started to say. "Its Black Gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. And the Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire, ash and dust." He paused as he stared at the Ring but glanced back to address the Council, "The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men can you do this. It is folly!" Again, the same elf that had stood to defend Aragorn's honor, stood indignantly with a leveled gaze on the Gondorian.

"Have you learned nothing of what Lord Elrond said? The ring must be destroyed!"

"And I suppose you think that you are the one to do it?!" Gimli, the short-tempered dwarf, yelled outrageously at the elf as he too rose indignantly from his seat.

"And if we fail, what then?! What happens when Sauron takes back what's his?!" Boromir retaliated.

"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" A riot ensured.

Sinthra sat with his head still resting on his knuckles at the arguing races of the Council and continued to watch with jaded eyes as Gandalf stood in an effort to break up the arguments only to be swallowed by the chaos. His eyes peered down the hobbit and instead watched him curiously stare hypnotically at the Ring. His ears twitched again at the whispers he had no doubt Frodo had been listening long enough for him to determinedly decide to take the Ring.

"I will take it!" Frodo announced to the Council as he stood firmly with his head back to look upon the tall individuals. "I will take the Ring." He again announced to the attention of the Council and Sinthra watched as one by one, each person of different origins pledged their lives and their weapons to the small hobbit with three added hobbit kind jumping out from their hidden places behind a bush and pillar. A look from Mithrandir had him standing up in attention. He gazed silently at the hobbit, denial in his eyes but a look from Lord Elrond had him reeling back.

"Will you join them?" Eyes from every member of the Council turned to stare, waiting for his decision and he resignedly asked, "Do you want us to?" Already knowing the answer but having the need to hear it uttered by the person his kind, his _people_ are indebted to.

"I ask this of you." Came the response. Sinthra closed his eyes and nodded in acceptance. He walked and stepped in front of the newly dubbed, _Ring bearer_, '_A small master,'_ he thought as he gazed upon the hobbit that is barely in reach of his waist and knelt down with a hand on his bent knee to level his gaze upon him.

"Then as Lord Elrond requested this of us, you, little hobbit are now holding the support of my people," His irises melted yellow and slit his pupils, surprising the hobbit and several of the people in view of him, "The _Last of Dragon Blood._"

[_End_]

* * *

Please review. Any kind criticism is accepted. Thank you ^^


	3. Chapter 2

[Chapter 2]

_**T.A. 3018,**_ **Eighteenth of December. **_**A month has passed after the Council of Elrond and they had still yet to decide on their final members. Aragorn finally called in a meeting with the people of their group that were most unsure about the tenth companion to settle their growing anxiety.**_

"I refuse to travel with a _dragon_ breathing down my neck!" Gimli exclaimed, _yet again_, to the irritation of the present company gathered in Lord Elrond's study.

"It cannot be undone and I refuse to take back my words, Master Gimli." Lord Elrond retorted back as he glared at the dwarf from his desk. Gimli sputtered indignantly.

"He is a _Dragon_, Lord Elrond. Surely you do not trust him to keep his word." Gimli tried to reason.

"Do not take lightly a dragon's word, Master Gimli." Gandalf spoke from his seat on the open window of Lord Elrond's study, one hand on his bent knee atop the window's sill and the other holding his pipe. "Sinthra and his people will keep to his word until he either accomplishes the task or draws his last breath. _That_ is the treasured honor of a dragon's _Pride_." He pointed his pipe at Gimli to emphasize the fact. Lord Elrond gave the old Istari an accusing glare.

"Do not think that I have not been fooled by your scheming, _Mithrandir_." He accused. "I would have never forced his people on this if it were not for these perilous times."

"I honestly did not think he would have arrived that late in time." Gandalf truthfully admitted. "I had planned to ask of his assistance before the Council started. I am truly sorry that it had come to that." Lord Elrond frowned but accepted the apology.

"I did not think that there were dragons left in _Arda_." A baffled Legolas stated from his leaning position by the bookshelf across Lord Elrond's desk. "I had thought that the last dragon were of Smaug the Terrible which had long been slayed by Bard."

"Yes, the last _Dragon_ was indeed Smaug." Gandalf nodded in agreement but continued. "But Sinthra and his last remaining kind are of Dragon _blood._" Enquiring eyes turned to Gandalf as he inhaled and blew a smoke formed dragon.

"No one but the elves of old knows, but once, before the battle of the Last Alliance started, there was a great battle that occurred above the skies of Arda." The smoke formed dragon opened its mouth in a silent roar with its wings spread wide and claws opened in a threatening gesture as it flew before dissolving, everyone watched mesmerized. Lord Elrond continued in place of Gandalf.

"Before Sauron released his army, an attack from the skies had forced him to gather his winged Nazguls to counter the forces of Aianir's army of Free Dragons."

"_Free_ Dragons?" Came the skeptic tone of Borormir seated next to a scoffing Gimli.

"_Impossible. _A battle from the skies would not have been unnoticed by anyone from beneath and would have been recorded in History." Gimli crossed his arms. Lord Elrond glared and Gandalf answered in place, "Ah yes that is if people _remembered_" earning disbelieving looks directed at him. He chuckled at the sight, blowing a few puffs of smoke from his pipe filled lips.

"It is said that a Dragon's roar is powerful enough to pierce a person's mind and erase a memory."

"_Impossible!_" Gimli shouted incredulously. Gandalf shook his head in disagreement.

"It is possible. Only those of hardened minds molded by age are strong enough to withstand the effects of a Dragon's roar." He could see Aragorn, standing across the room, shaking his head in disbelief and smiled laughingly.

"And they are powerful enough to take human form?" Boromir asked remembering the _creature's_ eyes flash yellow in his view of Sinthra's knelt position.

"Unfortunately not Master Boromir." Gandalf took his pipe from his lips. "Aianir's Battle of the Skies dealt a heavy blow to Sauron's winged army yes, but not without a heavy price. They were losing great in numbers from Sauron's magic and Aianir chose to retreat rather than lose any more of his kind. In their retreat Sauron used his magic to turn some, if not all of them to the human form you see Sinthra as now." They fell silent at that, even the brazen Gimli for they knew that to be turned to any other species than what you have grown and taken pride in, would be a devastating blow indeed.

"But then they would have fallen down from the skies!" Legolas remarked with wide eyes.

"To have fallen above a great height would have been instant death." Aragorn muttered.

"For any ground bound creature such as us yes, but they were born of Dragon blood and turned into human or not, their blood remains true. Their skin is still as thick as Dragon's skin though colored of soft flesh of any man, dwarf, hobbit or elf; eyes and ears still as sharp and clear as a Dragon's and strength still as true from when they were born." Gandalf described. "A fall from that height may have been painful for them but their bones were sturdy enough and their fast rejuvenation saved them, though Sinthra did tell me that some were not as lucky as others." A few flinched at the imagined image.

"And does he breathe fire too?" Came an excited accent from the once closed door, revealing the hidden hobbit from before. An unbidden smile came about from the gathered company.

"Pippin!" A hand pulled the hobbit away, revealing it to having _two_ eavesdroppers from the other side of the unguarded doorway. Aragorn moved and pulled opened the other door of the double doorway, revealing the two hobbits pulling at each other in an attempt to stay or flee. They froze as they felt eyes on them. Pippin, the thinner one smiled, pushed away the loosened hand on his shirt and entered as if welcomed. The other grumbled but followed. '_Is nothing private anymore'_ Lord Elrond thought in dismay not even bothering to scold the two. Gandalf let out a smoky breath from his pipe while the others merely smiled in amusement at the child-like manners of the hobbits.

"So does he, Gandalf?" Pippin asked again at Gandalf who gave a light chuckle.

"I do not know, Peregrin Took, for he had not told me nor had I seen him do so." He answered. "You best ask him yourself." His eyes twinkled in mirth.

"But why did they not choose instead to attack with the alliance? They would have had much support from the ground then." The other wiser hobbit questioned as Gandalf puffed a smoke.

"Dragons are notoriously prideful creatures, Meriadoc Brandybuck. They would never allow themselves to form an alliance with any kind but their own and they attacked Sauron in answer to that pride from having watched their kind turn to fell beasts and having allowed a _rider_ on their backs. In fact, it was in their pride of _freedom_ that they stubbornly answered to no master, even from their own creator himself." Gandalf told them. Gimli stubbornly huffed but remained quiet in acceptance. Gandalf smiled as he saw this for a dwarf also had pride as big as any Dragon if one compared. Aragorn caught the silence and deduced the near conclusive end of this meeting.

"How did you come across them, Lord Elrond, if you do not mind my asking?" Legolas inquired. Curious eyes turned to said person seated behind the desk as he leaned back on his chair.

"No, I do not mind, Legolas." He started and eyed each of the curious stares excluding the knowing gaze of the wizard. "Aianir was found wounded near the borders of of our home and was brought to me near death. He _should_ have died from his wounds long before he had entered my halls but his heart was still beating under his skin. I would have called it a miracle had he not revealed his true nature. I allowed him to stay as he was still weak from his wounds and he was surprisingly accommodating for a dragon. A few of his kind had arrived on our doorstep and would have ended in bloodshed had he not come to stop them in time, despite his weakened state. And to pardon their actions, they revealed to us what happened on their attack against Sauron and valuable information that had helped us defeat his remaining army. They told me that they were scattered and so I offered them my home as a place of refuge to reunite. He explained that the few to survive would eventually follow their blood's scent and would arrive here but they had only waited for a few days before leaving. The few who had arrived late, I welcomed and sent them on their way." His eyes glazed in nostalgia. "Aianir became a close friend in those few short days but I had never heard him say that he had a son. He had probably assumed him dead after not seeing him amongst the arrival, but to have Sinthra say that Aianir expressed his wishes to see me, I am relieved that they had found each other in the end." He closed his eyes in prayer and remembrance of his good friend.

"Then why force him to join when he clearly did not want to, if you say that he was the son of a good friend?" Asked the ever tactless curiosity of Peregrin Took and yelped from his friend's whack on his head. Gandalf shook his head at the brazened hobbit, though Lord Elrond did not mind, used to the hobbit's antics he is.

"Dragon's do not take helpful hands lightly. The pride of a Dragon demand they act accordingly, they cannot help it; it is in their nature to do so. It is one reason that some dragons act so conceited; to pry away that need. Sometimes though, a Dragon's Pride can also be its maker, like for Smaug the terrible." Gandalf related.

"But Sinthra is different." Aragorn stressed out gaining the attention of the party. He crossed his arms as he vouched for the Dragon. "I had met Sinthra long before in one of my patrols in the north. Some of the older Rangers told me that they had once met a man that closely resembled him and now I know that it was the same person. He joined us for only a week but he fought with us and even saved some of us. He left with nothing but the food we had shared and the clothes on his back. He is loyal to his company and noble to a fault. I trust him." He finished and it seemed to have been the ending to that when Merry had a worrisome thought.

"Will he not take the Ring?" Silence reigned down on them at that one simple question and everyone turned to the only man who they thought had the answer to that. Gandalf puffed smoke from his lips as he chewed thoughtfully on his pipe. It took a while for him to answer but it came nonetheless.

"He had admitted to hearing the whispers constantly," Everyone hitched a breath. "But he also said-"

"_It is disgusting to hear and makes my skin crawl even to be just near it. To take it would mean to lose my sanity and even at the force of death would I not bear it upon my flesh."_

"Well, at least we know that he won't be taking the Ring anytime soon." Pippin told them which earned smiles from all around.

"We are all in agreement?" Aragorn asked to which everyone nodded in approval, even from the hard-headed dwarf. Lord Elrond then rose up and announced the conclusive result of the meeting.

"Ten companions then," He counted. "We shall announce this to the Council and your company shall be thus named '_**The Fellowship of the Ring'**__."_

* * *

**[_Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring_]**

In the light of the afternoon sun while the group of his company questioned his reliability, Sinthra was found in the hall of remembrance seated on an open railing with one leg propped up on it as he held a book against his other knee with one hand and using the other to slide the pages. His attire had been changed from black to colored given by the elves of the female variety with matching elven boots to wear. His head was bowed down to the interesting book that he had borrowed from a stern looking male elf in the library and all was silent until his ears twitched from a movement.

"I'm surprised that you're here and not at the meeting." Sinthra muttered, startling the unsuspecting hobbit.

Frodo's eyes shifted around in alarm at being caught unintentionally hiding from the unnerving man he had spotted in his exploration of the elf realm. He felt himself freeze at the man's baritone voice and jerked back when the man's eyes turned to him from his book.

"I-I'm sorry for having disturb you." Frodo stuttered as he took a step back in an effort to leave politely but flinched from the snap of a closed book. He had opened his closed eyes, not knowing from when he had closed them, when he heard the man stand from his seat. He stared curiously at what the man, '_Sinthra'_, would attempt to do.

"No need to apologize, I was about to leave myself." Sinthra nodded to him to which he felt guilty in chasing the man, whom had done no wrong during his stay, away. The man had been nothing but respectable in keeping his distance from him and the others whom had been weary of him from day one. He at least deserved the chance to be heard despite being of Dragon blood and so would talk to him as Gandalf had once advised him to do.

"Wait." Frodo called firmly. Sinthra halted in his footsteps and glanced at the hobbit from his shoulder with one eye. He rotated his body back to face the hobbit but remained rooted to his spot. He rose an inquiring brow.

"I _do_ need to apologize. I'm sorry to have made you force to keep your distance from me, it is not what I wanted but I honestly cannot help myself to fear you so and I do not know the reason why." Frodo admitted to the interest of Sinthra.

Sinthra had often questioned the unnatural sensitivity of the Ring bearer from day one. To have feared the presence that he had been skillfully hiding since the first day of his turning meant that the hobbit had side stepped his barriers and went straight for his Dragon aura. He was intrigued yet fearful to have been felt so easily and so chose to stay away from the half-ling- not forced as the hobbit thought, but in hindsight, he should have explained at least to Gandalf why he had been doing so, for the sake of the young one's troubled mind. He sighed inwardly.

"You have no need to apologize," Sinthra reassured, continuing before the hobbit had the chance to speak, "the unnatural fear that you have been feeling around me is mostly due to my Dragon blood." He explained. "It exudes fear towards any kind of creature and you are of no exception. I do admit that I have since been hiding it beneath my human exterior but I suppose it is to be expected from the Ring bearer to have felt my aura so easily." He finished to a perplexed Frodo.

"I do not understand." Came the predicted response. Sinthra let out sigh at that, not truly a being to patiently explain things.

"You hear the whispers do you not?" He gave a pointed look at Frodo's chest whom instantly curled a protected hand on it with an alarmed look. Sinthra crossed his arms and remained silent as he waited for an answer. Frodo finally gave a reluctant nod.

"Just like the Ring, my blood releases a wave of my strength to cause fear and confusion upon my prey, as any dragon can do. Though it does not whisper, it can be felt by a person's skin alone." Frodo shivered when he felt a wave of that strength that Sinthra had let trickle down. "Just as you are sensitive to the Ring's whispers, you are able to easily pick up on a predator's intent." He narrowed his eyes at the hobbit. "For you to have felt both and still stand… Fate has indeed led you down this path." He muttered to himself and turned to leave but was once again halted by Frodo.

"I do not want to fear you." Frodo glanced down as he tried to push away his shivers. "If you are to join and pledge you and your people's life to me than I should at least be able to tolerate your blood in order to respect your word." Sinthra once again turned to face the hobbit.

"I am afraid." He honestly admitted to the dragon. "I am afraid that I will not be able to complete the task of destroying the Ring but I am more afraid for the people whom had pledged their life for this quest. I am afraid that if I fail, then all will be for nothing." Frodo finished in dread. Sinthra stared silently in comprehension and took to kneel before the hobbit with a hand clenched around the shoulder of the small shivering form of the Ring bearer. Frodo looked up in surprise.

"...You are brave for a hobbit." Sinthra simply said to a confounded Frodo having just admitted the opposite. "Do not worry so much and trust in the strength of others. If we do end up dying then respect us by trying your best to finish the task that we had pledged our lives for." He ruffled the hobbit's curly hair. "All will be for nothing if you decide to give up in the end." He muttered to Frodo and stood, taking his hand away. He turned and started to leave with one last lingering message for the Ring bearer.

"_I have faith in you."_

[_End_]

* * *

Please Review. Any kind of criticism is welcomed.


	4. Chapter 3

**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Lord of the Rings. Only my Ocs.

**_Warning:_** No Beta. Has slash.

* * *

[_Chapter 3_]

_**T.A. 3018, **_**Twenty-fifth of December. **_**The day the Fellowship set out to begin their Quest.**_

Dawn had yet to arrive but the early risers of Imladris could be spotted having begun their duties. Sinthra, with his attire changed to his traveling clothes, watched from the open window of Lord Elrond's study as the maids of Imladris scuttered about to bring breakfast to the rooms of the leaving company.

"It is a shame for you to be leaving so soon." Sinthra turned in attention to the seated Lord of the house.

"I apologize if that is the case, but I am glad to have honored my father's wishes and return the kindness that you have bestowed on our kind." He told the Elf Lord as he stepped away from the open window. Lord Elrond caressed the golden ring given to him by Sinthra from his late father, Aianir.

According to Sinthra, the ring was crafted by the late dragon's bones before they had burned him. Grotesque it may sound, the ring spun gold and had a sheen of its own. It was perfectly polished and smooth to the touch that carried an oval yellow gemstone in its center. Engraved upon the inside of the ring was the words, '_A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed.'_. He smiled softly at the familiar words of his friend. Truly a unique Dragon as well as a unique _friend._ He will treasure it for the rest of his days. He looked upon the son of his friend.

Though opposites of each other, Sinthra appearing stiff and formal whereas Aianir was open and cheerful, they both had the same dark silky hair -Aianir's cut shorter-, with the same dark obsidian eyes. Both had roughly the same build and carried themselves with a grace that he supposed only a turned Dragon can properly execute. The only notable difference would be the slight features of their face, with Sinthra's narrower flat, often serious gaze and his friend's remarkably wider eyes filled with wonder. He supposed that Sinthra, having traveled more so than his father would appear far more blasé for having lived so long. Though he doubted his father would appear as jaded even if he had.

"I pray for the Fellowship's safe return." He voiced as he stood to leave. Sinthra nodded and followed behind him to the entrance of Imladris where he and his company would leave through.

Even from afar, with his dragon eyes, he could already spot two of royal kind awake and alert with a hobbit whom he had learned was Samwise Gangee, gardener of the Ring bearer, piling necessities on top of the small pony's saddled back. He gave a whistle that jerked the focused hobbit in surprised attention and before the four men present had a chance to ask, heavy, powerful hoof beats coming from the direction of the stables was felt. Sam took an immediate step back when a sudden black beast of a horse came to a running stop next to the unflinching dragon-turned-human with its head shaking and legs stomping in excitement until a hand pulled on its reins calming it down. Sam stared with terrified amazement. Luckily, Bill the pony did not seem frightened in the least, having been already used to the horse after sharing the same stable for a month. Sinthra patted the beast's muzzle softly. A male elf in charge of the stable came after the horse and bowed in apology for the trouble the horse had caused.

"No worries, Erol is simply excited to be out and about." Sinthra explained with a slight twitch of a smile for the animal and those lucky enough to have seen it. It disappeared once he turned back to them and gestured to his horse with a movement of his head.

"Transfer half of the things on his back. He won't be bothered by the extra weight." He told the frozen Sam when the beast walked towards him with the saddle in already place and blinked rapidly at the other heavy -frightening- looking accessories that was hanging from the saddle. Aragorn moved to help the frightened hobbit with the horse.

"Where did you come across such a magnificent horse?" Legolas started toward Sinthra, in awe of the shiny coated horse.

"I believe the correct question would be 'where did he come across his chosen rider?'" Sinthra replied to the elf that stood mere inches below him as he looked upon his horse with caring eyes. Legolas and Lord Elrond turned to him in surprise.

"He is from the wild?" That would mean the horse was of Mearas kind, but it was not possible, for it was clearly tamed.

"Call it a gift from Eru," Sinthra told them, "Erol found me as a mere foul when I was asleep deep in the forest of Erud Luin. I gave him warmth and he stuck to me ever since." He shrugged.

"That is amazing." Legolas breathe out in awe and Lord Elrond agreed. They watched as Aragorn hefted half of their equipment on the firm back of the once excited but now calmed horse.

"You trained him well." Lord Elrond commented to which he received an uttered thanks. The rest of the company as well as some of the Council that had stayed behind to see them off arrived. Dawn had come and the Fellowship stood at the front of the entrance. Lord Elrond gave each a final look.

"The Ring bearer is setting out on a quest to Mount Doom." He stated.

"On you who travel with him, no oath nor bond is it laid to go further than you will. Farewell, and hold to your purpose. May the blessings of Elves and Men and all Free-Folk go with you." He ended with a spread of his arms. Legolas, Aragorn and surprisingly Sinthra, gave a bow of their heads with a hand to their hearts in thanks.

"The Fellowship awaits the Ring bearer." Gandalf announced to the un-expecting carrier.

Frodo slowly turned and gazed at each of them before taking a step forward toward the entrance for him to leave first as a symbolic gesture of the company following the Ring bearer they had pledged their lives to protect. Though, _he did not know the way._

"_Mordor, Gandalf."_ Frodo whispered to the old Istari behind him, "_is it left or right?"_

"_Left." _Gandalf whispered back with eyes resolutely straight forward and clasped a guiding hand on the Ring bearer's shoulder.

Sinthra smirked unseen by the fellowship, having heard the whispers with his sharp ears, following from behind four people and Bill the pony with Erol loyally beside him. Aragorn, with a final look, was the last to follow as they begun their journey towards Mordor. Towards the destruction of the Ring.

* * *

**[_Lord_**_**_ of the Ring: The Fellowship of the_ Ring**_**]**

_**T.A. 3018, **_**Thirty-first of December.** _**Seven days has passed since their journey had begun.**_

It's the silence of the night and the hobbits, the two men, Gimli and the Istari, were fast asleep. They had agreed upon choosing to travel during the day by Sinthra's suggestion of conserving their energy for a fight they might encounter later on rather than gaining the attention of their nocturnal enemies in a fight that they could avoid, to the displeasure of the battle-loving dwarf. Sinthra patted his resting horse curled behind him lovingly as he continued to look on at the beautiful scenery that only the night sky could produce.

Human form that he was, his dragon blood still flowed beneath his new flesh with his true characteristics still in place that had him awake since the start of this journey. If it were from the time that he were newly 'reborn' as a human, his body would have vibrated vigorously from the lack of needed sleep but now that he had _learned_, he no longer even had the need to shiver from even the coldest mountains.

It had been tough at first, to balance the need of his human body to the instincts he had so long been in tune to. He had suffered and almost lost his sanity once or twice during the first few days of being human but had endured. He had long ago since able to match his new 'human nature' to his dragon nature by actively hunting and training to accommodate into his new self. He traveled by foot, choosing to avoid two legged preys and purposely avoided the path to which he can smell the scent of his kin to continue on in his practice, deciding to show himself to his kind once he had mastered into his new form. He had been successful and was lucky enough to have caught with his father and the other newly turned dragons in the north by the Blue Mountains.

He huffed a smiled at the thought of his deceased father.

His father, although gravely injured and knowing that he would not live long, had been enthusiastic about his new body and the profound new knowledge that he had gained with it. Typical of his father. And although they were not the type, they had chosen to pack together for long years into their new form until his father had finally died from the injury and separated thereafter. Now, seated under the stars with his new company on their quest to destroy the ring under the request of their creditor, he thought of how funny the fates worked and let out a light breathy chuckle that unintentionally gained the attention of the elf of the group. He paused and turned to him with a slight dip of his head in apology.

"I apologize for disturbing you. Nothing is wrong, you may go back to sleep." He quietly informed the elf, whom shook his head negatively.

"I have rested my head enough." He silently stated as he took to stand near him with silent feet. "I've noticed that you've been on guard since we had left. I strongly recommend that you to take your rest before dawn arrives. I can take watch." He kindly requested. Sinthra's lips twitched upwards but held the oncoming smile down.

"I assure you, master elf, I need no sleep until the next week is up." Legolas titled his head at that and chose to sit on the rock he had stood on.

"I heard that dragons takes an unusually long time to sleep. Is that still true to your human form now?" He couldn't help but ask. Legolas had never met a dragon before and knew not a lot about them as his father didn't like them very much due to past experiences. The books they had had of the subject at his woodland home held very little and were generally the same. To be here now, in the company of a real life -albeit human formed- dragon, and without the eyes of his people constantly on his being, his curiosity could not be settled. Sinthra stared at him and sensed an inquisitive soul within his midst. He inwardly groaned. He _hated_ inquisitive minds but answered nonetheless.

"It unfortunately is, but i have learned since long ago to balance my sleeping habits with the normal requirements a human body needs." He leaned back on the soft surface of his horse. "I can now sleep with the reassurance that my heart will still beat when I wake." He mumbled. "Humans are surprisingly tenacious beings." He took a peek when the elf prince gave a soft light laugh. He noticed that it brightened up the usually tightened physique of the elf.

"That, they are." Legolas worded quietly with his laugh and throughout the night, Sinthra surprised himself, and the elf, of talking for far more than he normally would.

"I had not thought that you would be such a good conversationalist." Sinthra raised a brow at the mumbled words but ignored it in favor of looking back at the starry sky. All at once, Legolas abruptly swung his sight right to the other side of Erol with Sinthra already swift in the air as he jumped silently to his horse's other side and catching a snake by its snout dangerously close to the horse. One of the hobbits shifted in deep sleep. Legolas stared in amazement.

"That was incredibly fast." He commended. Sinthra raised the dark scaled snake and took a glance at him, causing an unbidden smirk to appear. "Thanks". Suddenly, Legolas turned, swiftly aimed his bow and let an arrow fly. The sound of his arrow hitting the ground was heard by the warriors of the group who jumped in attention with a reflexive hand on their weapon. Sinthra peered down the arrow with a thoughtful look on his face. Apparently, the snake was not alone and would have bitten their dwarf if not for the arrow that has pierced its open mouth. Gimli took a moment to take in the situation with a clenched hand on his renewed axe.

"I would have had that!" Gimli yelled at them, to the amusement of both dragon and elf.

"Nice shot." Sinthra muttered to the smirking elf.

"_Le fael_." Legolas smirked in Sindarin. The Fellowship had started to rouse with the morning light and had the two snakes for breakfast before continuing on.

As they walked with Gandalf leading them, Pippin started to approach the most unapproachable person of their group. He strayed to the back and tried to level his walk with the tallest man of their company. Sinthra gave a subtle glance at the youngest hobbit and kindly slowed his steps for the Half-ling to match his stride. He waited for the young one, gazing up at him intently, to speak.

"I saw that move, you know." Pippin started conversationally. "that mighty' swift jump you did when you caught our breakfast." Sinthra slightly tilted his head in a gesture to show that his attention had been caught. His eyes sighted the other's half, Merry, paused and staring at them in contemplation before shaking his head and moving on, just ahead of them.

"You're very agile. Are all dragons that agile too? That is, your human formed dragons. No offense." Pippin continued as they walked. "Think you could teach me how to jump like that too?" He asked with expectant eyes. Sinthra peered down at the young hobbit.

"...It'll take a lot of training, and you'll have to be extremely flexible." He answered finally, to which Merry snorted at, having heard his answer.

"Too bad Pip', you're not the most flexible person I know." Merry voiced out to his scowling cousin.

"I'll have you know that I am a very flexible person." Pippin haughtily retorted. "Most hobbits are, you know." He told Sinthra. "I think the only hobbit that isn't, is Sam here. He can't drink enough to save his life." He told them, to the amusement of the Ring bearer who let out a laugh opposed to his scowling gardener.

"Well, unlike _you,_ I have a job to do rather than drink and play pranks all day." The mentioned hobbit countered, starting the bantering of hobbits to entertain the rest of the day's walk, sometimes with others joining in with comments over a particular subject. At dinner, just before sundown, Pippin inquired again of Sinthra.

"So, are all dragons-turned-human as agile as you?" He asked, turning the attention of the group to the silent dragon.

"Some of us are. I don't know about the others." Sinthra answered. "Why's that?" asked the gardener, also curious.

"We rarely encounter each other in our travels. The last time I saw anyone of my kind was two years ago."

"Then how do you suppose your kind will answer to Lord Elrond's request if you do not inform them?" Merry smartly asked.

"When a war occurs, then I'll tell them." Sinthra told them. "Believe me when I say that they will gather like moths to a flame." "Can you breath fire?"Pippin butted in which earned a whack on the head by Merry but also gained a small smile from Sinthra which he quickly dropped.

"How can you be certain that they will come?" Boromir questioned. Sinthra gave a short glance at the Gondorian before going back to his plate of food.

"Dragons bear grudges heavily, Boromir." Gandalf informed them. "A war with Sauron is not one to be missed by any of them."

"Dragons can also breathe fire, Master Took." Sinthra answered with a look at the hopeful hobbit. "But should I attempt it as I am now, I fear that I would firstly burn my insides before I burn air." Pippin's smile went upside down, much to Sinthra's amusement.

"But it's still very reassuring to think that we'll have dragons as allies, even if they can't breathe fire." Merry commented which earned a snort from Gimli.

"Do not fool yourself with those kinds of thoughts, Master Meriadoc. No matter what form they turn to be, Dragons will always be greedy, hostile creatures who care only about themselves." Gimli scornfully stated loudly, unmindful of said dragon in their midst. Legolas scowled disapprovingly at the rude dwarf. Sinthra gave a smirk, unnoticed by the dwarf seated to the far possible end away from him next to the wizard.

"Master Gimli is right." Sinthra approved, much to the bewilderment of his company. "_Tamed_," His lips dipped at the word, "though we seem to be, some of us still stay true to our character. You best not approach us lest you accidentally trigger a switch." His eyes momentarily flashed yellow, jerking the hobbits back in surprise. An unbidden smile came again across his lips.

"And what about you?" Ever the cautious Gondorian asked, unamused. Sinthra turned back to his plate of food.

"I simply do what needs to be done." He said simply.

"He takes after his mother for that." Gandalf disclosed with an understanding smile. Sinthra chose not to comment at that and gestured to the darkening skies above. "Night is upon us. You best get some sleep, we still have a long journey ahead of us come morning." And that was the end of that.

* * *

**[**_**Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring**_**]**

_**T.A. 3019. **_**Eight of January. **_**Two weeks has passed and in the afternoon light, they had stopped to rest on a cluster of giant rocks for the benefit of the hobbits.**_

_Clang. Clang._ Metal against metal echoed through the vast valley.

After having questioned the mysterious member of the group, the company had traveled significantly lighter than when they had begun and seven days passed by with incredible ease. Gandalf hoped that with this luck, the path to the Gap of Rohan that he had been leading them to would remain open for them to pass through. He puffed out a smoke as he relaxed on his seat upon a giant rock that gave him a vantage point of his company.

Gandalf viewed as Sam passed a plate filled with lunch to Frodo and proceeded to sit beside him to watch the two young cousins train swordsmanship with Boromir. Aragorn occasionally giving encouraging advice with a puff of his own pipe, seated as he is on a rock nearest to them. Their elf ever the vigilant watcher with a hand clenched on his bow and their dwarf, who remained ever the opinionated person of their group.

"If anyone were to ask for my opinion, which I note, _they're not_, I'd say that we are taking the _long_ way around." Gandalf eyed a sleeping Sinthra spread out on a rock with an arm resting on his forehead and another on his stomach as he listened to Gimli speak with one ear. "Gandalf, we could pass through the Mines of Moria. My cousin, Balin, would give us a royal welcome." He took his pipe from his lips as he regarded Gimli with faint surprise registering in his eyes.

"No Gimli," He quietly denied, "I would not take the road through Moria unless I had no other choice." He missed the sudden waking of Sinthra just as Legolas climbed a higher rock to look closer at a shadow high amongst the clouds coming from the south.

"Aaaah!" Pippin painfully cried out which alerted Boromir with worry.

"Sorry!" Boromir quickly apologized but cried out painfully himself when Pippin suddenly kicked him on the shin.

"Get him!" Merry yelled out playfully as he tackled the man down with Pippin, urging a mock battle to ensue with them laughing and crying out battle cries.

"For the Shire!" "Hold him down, Merry!" "Hold him!" Aragorn laughed with them and stood to help his fellow man.

"Gentlemen, that's enough." He called to them as he laid a hand on each of the hobbit's shoulder, only to be grabbed by the legs, flipped and land painfully on his back. They continued their mock battle with Aragorn not noticing the intense look Legolas and the awoken Sinthra gave the shadow coming fast toward them. Sam was the first to have noticed their looks.

"What is that?" He loudly muttered to the attention of the rest of the group.

"Nothing, just a whiff of cloud." Gimli said as he too took notice of the oncoming shadow.

"It's moving fast… against the wind" Bormir observed as he regained his footing with a hand on the two hobbits.

"That's no whiff of cloud, it's a flock of birds." Sinthra corrected. Legolas widened his eyes and hurriedly turned to them.

"Crebain from Dunland!"

"HIDE!" Aragorn hollered prompting rapid movement as each of them hurriedly gathered their things and search for a spot big enough to hide in.

"The Horses!" Sam yelled in panic and turned to pull them but was immediately intercepted by an arm around his shoulders, dragging him away from them. He stared wildly at Sinthra.

"What are you doing?" He started to say as he struggled weakly against the strong grip but was ignored as Sinthra only gave a indecipherable whistle and roughly threw him down a set of bushes. He had no choice but to remain in the spot with Sinthra situated beside him as there was not enough time to crawl out. Almost in an instant did the Crebain flock around noisily above them with feathers dropping all around. In what felt like minutes but was only seconds did the flock leave, heading back to where they came. Sam worriedly pushed out from underneath the bushes.

"Where-" A neighing of a horse came to his attention and saw the two horses walk out from behind a tall rock with rows of bushes beside it; thick and tall enough to hide both horses. He let out a breath of relief and looked up when he felt a pat on his shoulder given by the dragon, walking towards the horses.

"Thanks." He breathed out and moved to follow the dark haired dragon toward their horses.

"Spies of Saruman!" Gandalf barked out angrily. "The passage South is being watched." He dismayed. "We must now take the pass to Caradhras." He said as he gave a forlorn gaze upon the great snowy white mountains hovering ominously at the east.

Erol neighed again and shook his head echoing the thoughts of the Fellowship.

'_This won't bode well.'_

[_End_]

* * *

Please Review. Any kind of criticism is welcomed. ^^


	5. Chapter 4

**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Lord of the Rings. Only my Ocs.

**_Warning:_** No beta and has slash.

* * *

[_Chapter 4_]

_**T.A. 3019. **_**Eleventh of January. **_**Three days after the Crebain, they reach the foot of the Redhorn Pass and decide to cross the Pass at night.**_

"Oof!" Pippin yelped when a thick heavy bundle of the four hobbits' extra coats was thrown to his face. He gathered it by the hands and looked up in puzzlement at the thrower. Sinthra gestured his head at it with a look.

"You may want to bundle up. The warmth from Imladris won't longer reach us here." He enlightened before tending back to his horse by covering Erol with a thick black cloak big enough for it, complete with a hood. He turned back when the stare from the hobbit did not deviate. He rose a brow which seemed to snap the rudely staring hobbit back to reality.

"So-Sorry. I've never seen you with your hair up before, you look like an elf with those ears." Pippin remarked merrily and passed the coat to their respective owners, noticing the other races of their company followed the same advice with the exception of their climate-controlled elf. Sinthra passed an extra thick cloak of Erol's to Sam to wrap around the small pony, dismissing the same look that the other hobbit had. He's thankful that the others had not thought any different of his hairstyle.

"Aye, I'm inclined to agree with you about the cold lad," Gimli started, ignoring Sinthra's raised brow at being called 'lad'. "Caradhras has been for centuries a cruel mountain never to be touched by any form of warmth. It bore the name 'the Cruel' long years ago, when rumors of Sauron had not yet been heard in these lands." He forebodingly warned the hobbits.

"Let those call it the wind who will; I fear we will be waylaid by deadlier foes than mere weather can do to us." Expressed Boromir.

"I do call it the wind," said Aragorn. "But that does not make what you say untrue. There are many evil and unfriendly things in the world that have little love for those that go on two legs, and yet are not in league with Sauron, but have purposes of their own. Some have been in this world longer than he." Legolas gave a nod of his head in agreement and Sam turned to ask Gandalf for his own opinion as an Istar.

"There are many things in this world that cannot be explained. Caradhras may be its own mountain but then again, it can not." The old Istar unhelpfully told them, and Frodo turned to their last member of the group who had yet given his own opinion.

"I care not for what it is, only the hardships it will bring." Answered Sinthra which earned a snort from Gimli. "Typical answer for a Dragon."

"Yet truer words yet to be spoken by wiser men." Defended Gandalf with a nod of agreeance. "We must gather what we can to prepare for the dangers that lie in store for us." His eyes glinted, prompting each of them to move. Dusk came faster than each of them had anticipated and by midmorning, they had already reached high altitudes of the mountain. Unfortunately, a snowstorm slowed down their progress.

_"Cuiva nwalca Carnirasse; nai yarvaxea rasselya!"_

Sinthra's naked pointed ears twitched at the silent, incomprehensible echo and he veered his sight to the right of the open path just as Legolas did the same near the front. He held tighter Bill the pony's reins, trusting his horse to keep behind in a straight line as he predicted of worse things other than the weather to come. He swerved back to the front of him where his fellow company struggled to pierce their way through the waist deep of heavy snow with him stepping alight above the snow. He frowned at the near frozen forms of the hobbits clasped around each men.

"Should I lighten their burden?" Legolas asked as he stood knowingly next to him. To be the two unburdened men in this storm, it would prove ideal for them to carry the hobbits instead, but with this stormy weather, they were most suited to react quickly if something goes wrong without having to be mindful of baggage, as rudely as it may sound. He shook his head negative.

"You're more useful with your hands than without." He answered. Legolas furrowed his brows, but nodded in acceptance and stuck to what the company agreed on. Sinthra was to hold the horse as he was physically more capable and Legolas would be the look out for the unseen. The elf went back to the front by Gandalf's side and let out a smirk when he heard the dwarf grumble in jealousy even through the roaring winds.

**"**_**Cuiva nwalca Carnirasse; NAI YARVAXEA RESSELYA**_**!"**

The quiet, incomprehensible echo from before, gave a sudden howl through the winds with words that are now formed as a chant, snapping both Elf and Dragon's attentions with an abrupt swing of their heads.

"I hear a fell voice in the air!" Legolas yelled to the Grey Istar.

"IT'S SARUMAN!" Gandalf angrily bellowed causing a horde of rock slabs and boulders fall from atop of them. Sinthra quickly tugged the reins to the sheer cliff wall for the horses to follow and used his strength to tactically push away the heavy boulders that otherwise might cause permanent damages to the horses and to the people, with Legolas doing the same effort from the front.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain!" Aragorn hollered when the last of the boulders tumbled down. "Gandalf! We must turn back!"

"No!" Gandalf strongly denied. He stood and rose up on the snow as he yelled out a chant against the strong gust of wind. Legolas stood beside him in attention and they watched with bated breath, the battle of two Istars.

_"Losto Caradhras, sedho, hodo, nuitho i 'ruith!"_ _**\- "Cuiva nwalca Carnirasse; Nai yarvaxea rasselya; TALTUTTA NOTTO-CARINNAR!"**_

"BRACE YOURSELVES!" A sudden command from Sinthra had them shoving themselves back against the sheer cliff side with Legolas pulling Gandalf against it just as an avalanche of heavy white ice cascaded from above. A moment of stillness ensued before Sinthra managed to push out a hand and immediately dug himself and the horses free, luckily the cloak that were wrapped around them helped slide the snow away easily. His ears twitched as he heard each of his comrades emerge slowly but surely.

"We must get off the mountain now!" Ordered Boromir with both arms wrapped tightly against a quivering Merry and Pippin. Both were cold and extremely pale as were Sam and Frodo wrapped around Aragorn's arms but still, Gandalf was hesitant to leave the path.

"We cannot stay here Gandalf." Came Sinthra's voice, clear and calm through the howling gusts and heard by all. Gandalf veered to him and caught the glare of yellow eyed slits. It boded the seriousness of his next words. "The cold will be the death of the hobbits. We **must** turn back."

All eyes turned to the Grey Istar and felt tension leaving their shoulders when they caught the, albeit, reluctant nod of agreeance. They shifted their bodies and turned back to where they came.

_**[The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]**_

_**T.A. **_**Twelfth of January.** _**The journey back down from the Pass was slow due to the still raging snowstorm and with only two of the ten companions unaffected by the freezing temperatures. By the time they had returned to their previous campsite at the foot of Redhorn Pass, the sun had just started to come down and they decided to rest and reroute.**_

"The Gap of Rohan is closed to us whilst the mountain pass is blocked. What left is there for us?" Gandalf mumbled with a hand on his pipe as he stared thoughtfully upon their built up campfire in the center of their circle. Boromir walked pass beside him and threw a handful of wood into the fire before settling himself down beside their smoking Ranger.

"If we cannot use the Gap, then why not go further down south? Cross the Isen into Langstrand and walk east to Lebennin, and so come to Gondor, my city, from the regions nigh to the sea." He suggested only to be denied by a shake of Gandalf's head.

"We cannot afford the time. We might spend a year in such a journey and though we would pass through many lands that are empty and harbourless, they would not be safe. The watchful eyes of both our Enemy and Saruman are on them." He explained. "...and now, at Cardhrass." He muttered in dismay.

"And it still would take us too close to Isenguard. Much has changed since you came north, Boromir. We cannot risk travelling down south anymore so long as we carry the Bearer." Informed Aragorn.

"We have yet still one option open to us Gandalf!" Gimli exclaimed excitedly from his seat next to the huddled hobbits. "If we cannot pass over the mountains, then let us go under it. Let us go through the Mines of Moria." Gandalf swung his eyes to the dwarf at the mention of the mines and only Sinthra saw past the confliction behind them. _Fear_. He knew why but chose to remain silent. He laid his head back down on his folded arms and closed his eyes.

"Are you going back to sleep?" Legolas asked him in a whisper with a teasing tone that he could detect in the elf's voice.

"Wake me if you hear anything." He mumbled. Should he had opened his eyes, he would have seen the fair elf's small smile from above him as he peered down at his stretched figure right beside him.

Gandalf remained silent as he thought about the two options left for them. Four, if they should decide to wait the winter air and take into account the two possible routes from up north. One would take them back to Rivendell and take the High Pass but risk possible ambush once they get across to the other side, and the other the path close to Ettenmoors, further up north but into Troll territory. He parted his lips to relay his thoughts but a distinct howl from a wolf disrupted him before he could.

"...That sounded close." Boromir alarmingly stated but was hushed by Legolas who stood at attention with a bow and arrow ready on hand. He walked slowly and steady with silent footsteps as he eyed the surrounding forest through the growing darkness of night. A glowing pair of eyes reflected from the light of the fire had him raising his bow only to be stopped and lowered back gently by a dark gloved hand. He veered left and caught Sinthra's dark eyes silently telling him to halt his movements. A second passed before he loosened his hand and slightly dipped his head in acceptance. Sinthra then took a step forward and Legolas eyes caught the rest of the wolf's pack hidden further away. All were darkly colored and melted in the dark, had they not shifted he would have not noticed their presence. He turned to Sinthra worriedly, wondering what the dragon was planning to do.

At the sound of the howl, Sinthra did not move from his spot on the ground. It was close and had the company alerted but Sinthra had spent his life in the wilds to know that even from up close, the wolves will not dare get close in his perimeter because of animal instinct. Predator against predator. It was all too clear on who would win should they decide to proceed, but a whiff of the wind had him furrowing his brows and opening his eyes. He stood from the ground and motioned the company to _keep quiet_ and _stand down_ before heading toward the elf.

Once Legolas had loosened his hand, he took a step forward gaining the pack's attention as they focused on the biggest threat of the party. They growled in warning but did not move to attack and that was all it took for Sinthra to understand. Wolves normally would not try to challenge him even if they outnumbered him with their packs. Only when they were desperate. And wounded. Added with the unusual scent lingering from their dried wounds, it meant only one thing to him. _Wargs._ He took another step and let out a blast of his Aura that sent the wolves running back into the forest. He did not pause to stare as he hurriedly strode to his horse, jolting the company out of their shock. Legolas was the first to notice Sinthra's intention.

"What did you see?" Legolas hastily asked but was disregarded by Sinthra mounting Erol and pulling him at the ready. He turned to Gandalf.

"I suggest you decide now and take leave from here." He ordered and motioned to the direction the wolves had ran to. "Wargs are coming."

"_Wargs?!"_ One of the hobbits cried out in fear but was ignored as Sinthra continued.

"I'll try my best to scare them off and lead them away from here; kill some when I can. Travel near the mountains. I shall meet back with you as early as possible." And he was about to take off but was stopped by Legolas' hand on Erol. Worried, defiant eyes peered up at him.

"You cannot go alone." He told him.

"Legolas is right -even if it is you, you cannot take them alone. That's suicidal." Aragorn stood at the ready, while the hobbits packed their things with Boromir to help.

"Your leaving?!" Frodo asked, his face grave when he heard but like Legolas was only disregarded.

"Let them come! They will meet the end of my blade should they reach us!" Gimli declared excitedly gaining an unbidden smile from Sinthra but dropped as he regarded Aragorn with a stern look.

"And they will, but I advise against it. We do not want to take any risks this early in our quest for we have far more deadlier challenges to face once we cross to the east. If we can avoid this fight then I suggest we avoid it-"

"Then let one of us come with you. If you aim to lead them astray than two would prove better than -" Boromir started to suggest but was immediately dismissed by Sinthra.

"I'm more than enough. I've done it before and we only have one abled horse. Should I bring another, than Erol might not be fast enough. I urge you to listen to what I say and leave from here. _**Now**_." His eyes flashed to serpentine yellow slits as another howl, farther away but proved to be foreboding, was heard. Everyone of their party seemed to freeze as they listened to it end. Sinthra turned urgently to Gandalf.

"We do not have much time. _**Choose.**_" It took only but a second until Gandalf came to a decision.

"Let the Ring bearer decide." Frodo turned to Gandalf in silent shock as he felt all pairs of eyes turn on him. Gandalf only returned his with somber eyes and he turned back to stare at Sinthra, unsure of himself.

"What is it that your heart tells you to do, Frodo? Any path you decide to take, we will follow you." Aragorn gently reassured him.

"As will I." Sinthra added.

"The mines." Frodo quietly stated but repeated with more conviction in his voice. "We will go through the mines.".

Gandalf stared at him for but a moment before nodding in acceptance.

"So be it." He uttered before turning to Sinthra with a nod of his approval to go. Legolas' grip tightened on Erol's reins but a familiar dark gloved hand made him loosen his grip. He locked gazes with dark obsidian eyes for but a few seconds until Sinthra sternly turned to Aragorn.

"Do not leave the safety of the mountain side and look sharp; wolves are desperate when injured. They'll no doubt come for you again. I'll meet you at the western gate of Moria before the next day is through." He notified him as he took Erol's reins with both hands.

"We'll be expecting you then. Be careful." Aragorn nodded in farewell. Sinthra smirked and took a final glance at Legolas' frowning face.

"_Na lû e-govaned vîn_." Legolas glared at him. "_**Abarad.**_" Sinthra's lips twitched, as if wanting to laugh but only gave a nod before taking off in a gallop.

[_End_]

* * *

Criticism, whatever it may be, will be gratefully accepted. ^^


	6. Chapter 5

**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Lord of the Rings. Only my Ocs.

**_Warning: _**No Beta and has slash.

* * *

[_Chapter 5_]

_**T.A. 3019. **_**Thirteenth of January.** _**By nightfall of the next day, the Fellowship arrived at the western side gate of Moria and had come at a standstill by not only Sinthra's awaited arrival but also by Gandalf's faulty memory. There they sat waiting near the doors by the lake.**_

"_Ando Eldarinwa… a lasta quettanya, Fenda Casarinwa…_"

Time passed in what seemed had been _hours_ in Pippin's opinion and yet there had still been no sign of Sinthra or his horse, nor there was any sign of the doors of Durin, Lord of Moria, opening. They might not have said anything but Frodo could tell that everyone was getting worried of their Dragon; the elf, most of all as he stands by the rear end of the company with eyes focused on the path. He, himself, feared the worst and turned to ask Gandalf for some reassurance.

"How do you think is Sinthra fairing?" At the time when he was asked for a decision, his mind was on a rush that he did not think it possible for Sinthra to have a hard time with the Wargs. Now that he had calmed and the company was out of danger, he started to doubt the dragon-turned-human's strength but Gandalf looked as if the thought was of no importance.

"Hm?" He hummed distractedly, giving the question a mere second to cross his mind before discarding it with a dismissing answer. "No need to worry about Sinthra. I'm sure he's having a _feast_ of a time unlike me who's yet to remember the blasted password!" He ended frustratingly before he let out a heavy breath, dropped his staff on the ground, pulled his pointed hat and chose to sit next to the Ring bearer for a moment's rest. Frodo stared at him with puzzled eyes as he considered Gandalf's words.

"What do you mean?" He quietly asked, not wanting to disturb the silence of the eerie night. Gandalf paused his thoughts as he regarded the hobbit's question with a quick glance.

"He's a _Dragon_ by birth. His strength surpasses that of normal ground-bound creatures. I wouldn't worry about him unless absolutely necessary." Frodo stared at him incredulously, as well as Legolas if he had turned to him.

"You're keeping something from us, aren't you Gandalf?" He whispered with furrowed brows, not wanting to cause suspicion of Sinthra's recent worth of trust but wanting to know more about the mysterious dragon. "Of why Sinthra was insistent on having us leave the Wargs to him?" The look the Grey Istari gave him confirmed his thoughts.

"Can you tell me?" He asked hopeful of learning more about Sinthra only to be dashed away by Gandalf's furrowed stare. He frowned, "You can't?" Gandalf shook his head.

"I do not think it is advisable for me to tell you of Sinthra's _habits_." Frodo furrowed his brows in confusion.

"_Habits?_" He started only to be ceased from Gandalf shaking his head.

"It's best you don't ask, Frodo. Some things are better left unsaid. That is all." Gandalf left it at that, much to the confusions of the listening hobbit and elf.

Frodo frowned, dissatisfied and confused but chose to let the conversation go and felt himself loosen from anxiety. It seemed that though his questions only gained more questions than answers, Gandalf had still managed to relieve his burden of worrying about Sinthra. To fully release himself of his worries, though, he instead focused on the riddled words etched on the surface of the doors. '_Riddle...'_ In their musings, he and Gandalf failed to noticed the ripples in the lake.

"Riddle…" He mumbled, then stood in revelation at the front of the gate. "It's a riddle!" He loudly proclaimed.

"Speak 'friend' and enter." He stressed and turned to question Gandalf. "What's the elvish word for 'friend'?"

"_Mellon._" Gandalf uttered and stared as the doors rumbled open, gaining all the company's attention. They stood but made no move to enter, only gazing upon the dark entrance of the opened doorway, even Gimli.

"Should we enter now?" Pippin asked but all knowing the truth hidden behind the words. '_Shouldn't we wait for Sinthra first?'_ Gandalf huffed and took out a crystal from under his robe as he moved to enter inside. The others followed after him but not without a pause in their steps and sneaking a glance to the path of where they came from.

"Soon master elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the dwarves!" acclaimed Gimli, trying to ease his -hidden- worries with the prospect of seeing the dwarrows of Moria after having not been in contact for so long. "Roaring fire, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone… This, my friend, is the home of my cousin, Balin." Gandalf placed the crystal atop his staff and blew on it as to illuminate the dark with its glow.

"And they call it a mine." Gimli continued with a chuckle. "A mine!" He exaggerated only to stop dead on his feet when the glow from Gandalf's staff revealed the truth behind the unusual silence of the dwarrow's society.

"This is no mine." Boromir announced with a stare at the rotten corpses. "It's a tomb!"

"Oh! No! Noooo!" Gimli wailed as the sight of his fallen comrades became all too real for him and the thought made his knees buckle from the weight of it all. Legolas neared one fallen dwarf that had an arrow pierced on its chest and pulled it out. A distaste in his mouth formed as he examined the arrow.

"Goblins!" He spat out bitterly as he threw the arrow away in equal disgust and reflexively took out a bow and arrow. A sound of sliding metal was heard as both Boromir and Aragorn readily took out their swords from their scabbards.

"We make for the Gap of Rohan. That is our only option. We should never have come here." He dictated lowly.

"Now get out of here! Get out!" He then demanded of them, only to abruptly turn back to the panicked calls of the Hobbits.

"Strider!" "Aragorn!"

It seemed that warriors from inside the entrance had made a grave mistake of leaving the rear of their company open. The creature hidden from within the depths of the lake that had Aragorn speculating, had now shown its monstrous form from when they weren't looking and had its tentacles grab the leg of Frodo. Sam had managed to slice the tentacle off his employer's leg only to have all three of the Hobbits pushed back by more and once again tangle a leg of Frodo. It pulled and Aragorn and Boromir was forced to fight in the shallow edges of the lake to take the Ring bearer back and possibly end the deadly Watcher's life. A loud voice had Aragorn in attention.

"Catch!" Just as soon as the word was heard, a black short arrow unlike anything Legolas had seen before pierce through the tentacle that had Frodo with enough force for it to let go in pain. Aragorn opened his arms and caught the falling Ring bearer in an instant. He turned and Boromir yelled for Legolas.

"Legolas!" A precise aim of an arrow answered the Gondorian's call as it shot directly at the eye of the monstrous sea creature.

"Get in!" The sudden form of Sinthra yelled as he pushed the stunned Hobbits into movement. He waited by the open doorway and ran in once the two remaining swordsmen had entered. He ducked as the entrance started to cave in from the wild swaying of the tentacles and roughly pushed the two men just as the final slabs of rock fell. All was silent and dark just as the final piece of rock fell. It took several seconds before the Fellowship started to emerge again. A thud was heard from Gandalf's jab of his staff on the ground to reproduce his light.

"Is everyone alright and accounted for?" started Aragorn. A couple of dry coughs from the dust and painful groans was heard before answers came in form of mutters. Boromir was the first to notice their missing companion.

"I don't hear Sinthra." Aragorn's eyes widened only to turn back in alarm at the caved in entrance as some of the rocks slid down revealing an arm that shot out of it and later, after some maneuvering, the top torso of Sinthra.

"Sin!" Legolas was the first to move to help the half-buried dragon up amongst the bewildered company. Sinthra wheezed and coughed some after he stumbled out from the rubble and rested on the ground with some worried members surrounding him.

"Are you alright?" Frodo worriedly asked with furrowed brows. Sinthra let out a final large breath of air before he stood on wobbly legs with Legolas to lean on and nodded in answer.

"That was quite a feat, Master Dragon. If it were any of us buried in that pile, we would never have made it out, let alone move." Sinthra only gave a nod in thanks for the Dwarf's compliment for his lungs were still panting out air. A heavy clasp on his shoulder swung his eyes to Aragorn who shook it with a grateful smile on his face, as was Boromir's.

"We owe you our lives." Aragorn told him and Boromir nodded in agreeance. "Thank you" in which he received another nod from Sin. Legolas frowned at him in concern and shifted his hold more comfortably against the tall man. They were all perturbed by how Sinthra only leaned tiredly on him some more.

"Are you sure you're alright, Mister Sinthra, Sir?" Sam inquired. Sinthra opened an eye to peek at the Hobbit and breathe out an exasperated sigh.

"'Sin' will do, Master Gamgee. And yes, I'm fine, just had the wind knocked out of me. I'll be right as rain after a little rest." was the reassuring answer.

"What happened with the Wargs?" "And Erol?" Merry asked anxiously with Pippin. Sinthra turned his eye to them and felt a twitch of his lips.

"Taken care of, Master Merry and I sent Erol straight to Rohan, Master Took. A horse is no place for a mine after all." He explained and finally stood on firm legs but with a hand still resting heavily around the elf's shoulder. Pippin furrowed his brows at him.

"Will he be alright on his own, though? Isn't the Gap full of Orcs?" he asked.

"A horse is a horse. His instincts will guide him." He notified with a tone full of trust for his horse. It told them of just how much Sinthra trusted his horse above all.

"And what of your weapons, lad? I don't see any on you. Did you leave them hanging on your horse?" Gimli gestured at his black cloth figure. Sinthra smirked at him but before he could begin to show his wit to the dwarf Aragorn spoke for him.

"Do not be deceived by him, Master Gimli. He isn't as naked as you may perceive him to be." Sinthra threw a cold look at Isildur's heir who only took it in stride as he was used to.

"Enough about me; tell me, what has happened to Moria?" Sinthra asked as he surveyed their surroundings. The foul scent in the air warned him of Goblins. The question brought them all back to the immediate danger but none could give him an answer. Gimli could only lower his head in mourning as Gandalf sighed in resignation.

"Let us not dwell on questions that we cannot hope to answer." Gandalf told them with only Sinthra detecting the plausible lie from his tone. "We now have but one choice," he turned to face the darkness within. "We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard. There are older and fouler things than Orcs, in the deep places of the world." He started toward the grand staircase. "Quietly now. It's a four day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed." Sinthra squeezed the shoulder of Legolas before letting go but before he could take a step a hand on his cloak had him turning to the Ring bearer next to him.

"I'm glad you came on time." Sinthra couldn't help the smirk that appeared as he ruffled the curly head of the hobbit and nudged him to the front. He dropped his smirk and narrowed his gaze once the Fellowship had their backs on him. His sense of smell told him of something more than mere goblins inhabiting the place but chose to keep quiet about it. If Gandalf were to keep information from them, then who was he to correct a Maiar?

_**[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]**_

_**T.A. 3019. **_**Fourteenth of January. **_**A day has passed since they had entered Moria and they had stopped to rest after a long while of walking.**_

It was cold, dark and dreary inside Moria but none uttered any sign of opinion in respect for the mourning dwarf and chose to proceed in silence with nothing but the glow from Gandalf's staff to light their way. It wasn't quite as depressing as it should have been for the dwarf and Sinthra suspected that it was because he and the istar weren't the only ones who had suspicions of what had long transpired in Moria. He heaved a heavy sigh at this dangerous excursion that they had unknowingly been thrown into.

"You can sleep now if you like. I'll wake you when we are to continue again." Sinthra tiredly gave a smile at the concerned elf sitting beside him and gratefully leaned himself closer to the fair hair of the elf. Legolas quietly gasped on contact but did not move away from him. He felt the Dragon smirk near the back of his ear.

"...Are you sure you're alright?" Legolas quietly inquired and scowled when his response was in a form of a deep inhalation of scent of his hair. He fully turned his head to stare at the dragon properly. Sinthra inwardly growled at the movement but returned the stare with a blank look.

"What are you hiding?" Legolas whispered with a defiant look that Sinthra had always admired from him. It was a look that had him intrigued by the elf since the first time that he had seen it but simply rose a brow from the question.

"You never told us what happened with the wargs. Tell me." Sinthra's mouth quirked at the demand. He honestly found it endearing and would have answered like expected from the times they had been conversing in between nightly watches but this time it was a bit more sensitive for him. Gandalf was the only other _human_ to know about his _habits_ having had experienced it for himself and he did not know how the light creature before him would take it. But as he stared at eyes that seemed to sparkle like sapphire he could not help but lean his lips close to the fair hair elf's pointed ear and part his lips in answer.

"_**Lunch**_" Legolas eyes widened significantly and Sinthra casually leant back on the flat surface of the rock behind them. He avoided the stare of the elf and turned instead to watch their sleeping companions. It was a while before Legolas had gotten his voice back from the shock.

"You _ate_ the wargs?" It took only a glance from Sinthra to know it to be true.

"...Is that why you insisted upon leaving them to you?" Legolas hesitantly continued and the dark being before him stared in silence before answering, looking as if he had found something in the elf that he did not like.

"My appetite stayed much the same, Prince Legolas, and I doubt you would have appreciated the messy sight." He gracefully stood before Legolas could begin to say what he had opened his mouth for and walked toward the waking people of their company. As they continued on with their journey, he decided it was best to let the frightened elf alone and hung back behind the Fellowship. His ears twitched at a sound but did not turn to look with knowledge that it was not only he that noticed the wayward companion that they had collected.

They walked on in continued silence and exited a hallway that opened to a great dark cavern that had them kept near the wall. Sinthra paused and took a step near the edge to have a closer look at the dark depths of the cavern in curiosity only to have his eyes melt to gold. The rest of the Fellowship paused and turned to him when they felt the change of atmosphere coming from the dragon.

"Ah, you noticed." Gandalf said to Sinthra that swung golden eyes at the Istar. His eyes were so that the company could see in clarity his molten gold iris against the dark. Some shivered from the intensity whilst others tensed in alarm but Gandalf calmly stared straight back against penetrating eyes. After a moment of staring, Sinthra turned back to the pit. Pippin curiously turned to Gandalf.

"What is it he noticed, Gandalf?" He asked. Gandalf gave a mysterious smile at them in his amusement.

"The thing that all dragons, and dwarves," he added with a motion to Gimli, "most desire above all things, Pippin." He then gestured with his staff to the open depth of the cavern with a step closer to the edge.

"The wealth of Moria was not in gold… or jewels." The crystal on his staff shined brighter as he tilted it downward, "but mithril." The cavern then shone brightly by the mihtril's reflection of the light as everyone gazed down at it in wonder. The light faded just as Gandalf suppressed his staff and resumed walking. Sinthra stared some more before following and quirked up a smile at the look the dwarf gave him before he too turned to follow.

"Bilbo had a shirt of mithril rings that Thorin gave him." Gandalf told them in conversation.

"Oh! That was a kingly gift!" Gimli exclaimed.

"Yes!" Gandalf chuckled. "I never told him but its worth was greater than the value of the Shire." Unnoticed by the Fellowship, Frodo's eyes widened in surprise yet remained silent as they walked on their path.

Time passed on and Gandalf led them higher through the mine. A steep staircase had Sinthra believing that the bridge to their exit was not too far away from them and it had elevated his mood. Contrary to popular belief, not all dragons were content to stay situated in a cave full of shiny objects in their lifetime. Some, like he, were more content to spread their wings and fly in the vast skies of Middle-earth, exhausting their energy until their next hibernation. Their greed in taking and hoarding large amounts of valuable objects to sleep on was merely to keep them satiated with their wealth, for their pride could not allow them anything less than riches -not to mention it was comfortable to sleep on, for him anyway-. His hand impulsively caught the slipping Hobbit even as he continued on in his musing. The Fellowship had luckily held on their voices and sighed in relief as Sinthra hefted the little Hobbit on his shoulders, as if weighing nothing and pressing on the steep staircase with but a daze in his eyes. It worried Legolas but turned to continue on in silence.

Gandalf was first to reach the top as he was in the lead but came to an abrupt stop at a crossroads that he squinted at for remembrance. Three doorways, each beside the other with only one leading to the bridge had the old Istar stumped to a halt.

"I have no memory of this place."

It was but a faint whisper in the wind but Sinthra had heard it nonetheless. He lowered Pippin on the ground once he reached the top.

"Dusk is coming, let's rest here for the time being."

[_End_]

* * *

Any type of Review is welcomed. Thank you.


	7. Chapter 6

**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Lord of the Rings. Only my Ocs.

**_Warning:_** No Beta and has slash.

* * *

[_Chapter 6_]

**_T.A. 3019._****Fourteenth of January. ****_Late in the night, the Fellowship comes to a halt and awaits Gandalf's recollection of his memories for the correct path. They decide to rest and hope that come morning, Gandalf's memories will come back to him._**

"Are we lost?" Sinthra heard Pippin whisper to Merry, stationed as he was on the steps of the steep staircase; far enough away that he could give some semblance of watching for dark creatures but truly, to give him some space from them for awhile. It would be perceived, he knew, as a self conscious move by the elf and a cowardly act by his compatriots -if they ever heard of it- after that last conversation he had had with the elf but he did not care. He needed some time alone to compose himself. He may be human now, but he still was and always will be at heart, a Dragon.

"No!" Merry huffed in an equal whispering tone.

"I think we are." "Shh! Gandalf's thinking." Merry hushed with what Sinthra could hear a glare in his voice and the silence returned only to be once again disrupted by the ever lovable, youngest member of their Fellowship.

"Merry." Pippin called quietly.

"What?" answered Merry, irked.

"I'm hungry." came the response. Sinthra let out a quiet snort in mirth but was quick to drop in attention to a sound his ears were twitching from. He stepped near the edge of the staircase and peered down into the cavern in time to have caught a glimpse of a very familiar gray creature before it leapt back into the darkness of the caves. In his focus he had almost failed to notice the slick elf join him in peering down at the depths above a step beside him.

"Gollum." Sinthra identified. At the corner of his eye, he saw Legolas slightly blush in shame and twitched a lip before glancing back down at the depth.

"...He escaped our eyes during a raid from orcs." Legolas admitted quietly. Sinthra spied an eye at him for but a moment before turning away from the edge. He took a few steps before halting in wait for the elf who clearly had something to say to him. His scent alone told him that -yet he did not turn, though he did move his head slightly in a gesture of his attention. He could tell Legolas perk even from behind him but still with hesitation on his person, and Sinthra, even if unknown to the reason, did not like it one bit. A snarl escaped him that had the elf jolting back in shock.

"If you have something to say, then I suggest you say it like a prince should. Enough with the hesitancy… It does not become you." He ended in a whisper with his back still facing the said prince. Lacking practise in the art of socialization, he knew it to be the reason why he could not predict the elf's reaction and what with all the emotions spewing out from the elf overflowing his sense of smell, he was incapable of even an estimated guess and so, waited; but when not a sound was uttered by the prince, he let out a breath and moved in an intent to leave the awkward situation. A light tug at the back of his cloak had him pausing in his steps -yet still, he did not turn but nor did he take another step.

"...I forgot…" Legolas started in a whisper he was sure only Sinthra would hear, "Through these long weeks we've been traveling together, I have become accustomed of thinking of you as another companion- as a… friend." He paused for only but a second before continuing. "During that time, I have thought of you only as one of us and not as a-" Again, a pause in hesitance and was about to continue but was rendered speechless by Sin's turning about with a frigid gaze of golden hues and one word. "Monster?"

Uttered low and undeniably calm despite the chill of the eyes. It's as if the word itself brought a breeze of its own down the humidity of the mine and despite his origins, Legolas shuddered in reaction, unmissed by the dragon's unwavering stare. It took only but a look from his blue eyes to see that despite the posed question, it was seen as an unexceptional and with a brow raised in wait for the coming of the confirmation from him. A tightened grip and an answer slipped out without even having thought the words that ran through his tongue.

"You are not a Monster." Unconsciously, the elf pulled until his dark haired friend was forced to lean nearer to him. "I apologize if I made you feel so, but that thought never once crossed my mind." His head bowed but the gray stone steps of which they stood on did not register in his unseeing eyes; focused only on his words and because of it, missed the widening, shocked gaze of an unsuspecting Sin. "I was shocked, yes and afraid, I confess, but only because I was caught off guard. It had never occurred to me that you- that I-" He stopped mid blabber when he felt himself jerked by the wrist of his hand and enveloped by warmth of which he had never felt before. It took a few seconds to regain his lost sense to which it occurred to him that his head was gently laying on a firm but comfortable and warm chest. His ears caught the sound of a beating heart from within while Sin's chin rested atop of his head.

"I'm sorry, Legolas. Please... don't cry." Sin soothe quietly whilst stroking the blonde's hair. It was only then that Legolas realized the tears making a path down his face. The dragon watched as the elf touched his cheeks in disbelief and looked back up at him. Sin's heart skipped a beat.

It was then, that here, engulfed in darkness and wrapped firmly in his arms; glistening eyes, bewildered look and slightly flushed face, that Sinthra, Dragon and son of former mighty leader of the Free Dragons, fell irrevocably and undeniably, in love.

"He's remembered!" A sudden excited whisper from above had them both jolting back to the present, not having realized that both were staring so intently within each other's gaze and Legolas immediately lowered his gaze. His cheeks felt warm from a touch and knew not where it came from. Sinthra spoke not a word and only tugged at his hand in a gesture for him to move. They had reached the last of the steps to catch the tail-end of the Istar's words.

"If in doubt, Meriodoc, always follow your nose." Given with a wink and a smile, even Sinthra could not hold a full blast of a fanged grin on his face.

Now where has he heard that line before?

**[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]**

**_T.A. 3019._****Fifteenth of January. ****_Morning comes along with Gandalf's returning memories and hope carries each step as they continued on further to their end goal: To reach the Eastern Gate of the mine and rejuvenate under the touch of the sun._**

_'Finally'_ Sinthra's mind thought once their company touched down into a wide open space propped up by pillars and arched ceilings that, in the moment, only he could gaze in awe of until that is, the Istar sought to risk a bigger range of his staff's light.

"Behold," Gandalf announced as he lifted his staff's light, "the great realm and dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf." His ears twitch at the sound of several gasps and hitch of breaths as the company's eyes fall upon the beauty of a once great city.

"Now there's an eye opener and no mistake." Sam murmured as they continued through.

An eye opener indeed, as it took only a moment for the words to register in Sinthra's mind and trigger an explosion of senses within his body. The feel of a breeze, light but airy; the smell of leaves, thinly scattered about the hall but there and sound; a song of a voice that dragons intimately knew only to be none other than her, Wind. He only heard but a ghostly whisper of her song but knew of the sign it comes to be. Their exit is near, the bridge of Khazad-dhum is but a few leagues away from where they walked. Sinthra could not help release a tiny slither of excitement wave upon his companions, to which they echoed back their own amused but equal anticipation to the dragon. The exit was near. The gate was open. Sinthra had to fight to keep from running but even Boromir could not contain a smile at their excited companion. So eager and tense his focus seem to be, that he visibly flinched at the sudden, unexpected loud huff from the running form of Gimli. He cursed himself from his over active eagerness before following the fellowship in a lightened chamber. Sunlight filtered his eyes a moment before coming to rest upon a room filled with scattered weapons, dusty, dry-old skeletons and a crypt, resting in the middle of it all where Gimli knelt, defeated and in mourning.

"'Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria.'" He heard Gandalf speak. "He is dead then. It's as I feared." Gandalf, distraught, removed his pointed hat and staff to give to the person closest to him as he too mourned with the dwarf. In respect for the mourning, Aragorn allowed for a pause in their journey. Sinthra took watch at a point near the entrance, abiding with the decision but an anxious elf stepped closely to the ranger.

"We must move on, we cannot linger." He whispered lowly as to not be rude but with a tone of urgency. Aragorn, in agreement but with hesitance, awkward to the situation, was about to answer when the Istari's voice carried words that captured their attention.

"'They have taken the Bridge… and the second hall'" Gandalf read from a heavy tome he held. "'We have barred the gates… but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes.'" At this point, not even Sinthra had noticed the one lone hobbit backing up steps leading to a well, such were their intense attention of the passage Gandalf intoned.

"'Drums… drums…. In the deep.'" Here, he looks up slowly and gazed at his captured audience. They all start to feel uncomfortable and glance about in the room. "'We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark.'" Pippin turned, startled by a touch against his back. A precariously positioned body at the top of the well seized his infamous curiosity.

"'We cannot get out.'" Gandalf glances back up once again as he voices out the last of the words. "'They are coming.'"

_Croak. Bam!_

They all jump and turned towards the sound. All hands flinch at the nearest use of a weapon. Sinthra gave a loud curse. Pippin turned wide-eyes at them, while the body behind the hobbit careened down the hollow well followed by a long metal chain and bucket it apparently was tied to. Pippin flinched in time with each bang and screech the items made and Sinthra winced sympathetically as Gandalf's angry diatribe followed after the poor hobbit.

"Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" He erupts, snatching away his pointed hat and staff from the hands of the frightened hobbit. "I suggest we lea-" _Dum._

A sudden beat of a drum cuts him off, at first slow but then grows into a beating of rhythmic sounds.

"Frodo!" Sam called, eyeing his master's sword. And Frodo need not unsheathe it fully to show the blue glow of his elf-made sword.

"Orcs!" Legolas proclaimed and Sinthra and Boromir both made to the door only for the dragon to pull the Gondorian out of the path of two incoming arrows.

"Stay back!" Aragorn yelled to the hobbits as he went to help barricade the door. "Stay close to Gandalf!"

Sinthra and Boromir shut the double doors just as a loud bellow reached their ears.

"They have a cave troll." Boromir uttered out in sarcastic relief and Sinthra couldn't help but grin at that as he snatched the weapons Legolas tossed for them to blockade the double wooden doors with. Gimli climbed atop the crypt and swung his large battle axe at the ready.

They all backed away from the entrance once the orcs started beating down the doors. Gandalf tossed his hat in favor of holding a sword to fight with his staff; Legolas and Aragorn both draw out a bow and arrow taking aim at the door; Boromir, his sword and shield as well as all the others that held a sword. Curiously, Sinthra remained unarmed and simply took position at the front of their party. No one voiced a question but all were wondering at the back of their minds. All thought though was wiped away as chips from the wooden doors started falling from the beatings.

"Argh! Let them come!" Gimli declared. "There is one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!" As if empowered by the declaration, weapons was instead used to hack the door open. The two archers let use of the hacked away holes as an opportunity to draw first blood, before the door was blown away fully by sheer force of stampeding orcs. It was then that Sinthra revealed his lethal, twin dual blades, cleverly concealed within his garb.

The wave of onslaught was chaotic but Sinthra manages to keep track of the fellowship as well as all the orcs that had entered the room with his dragon senses wide open. It was almost as if he could view the room in a vantage point, despite the heavy dust storm that picked up from all the movement and uses this advantage to cover all of his companion's unprotected side; none could keep up. His maneuverability defied human capability, allowing him to jump from one place to another with deadly accuracy. He kills two more orcs with a pilfered axe before the very earth shakes and a rumbling from the doorway announces the arrival of the cave troll Boromir had warned them about. He felt, more than saw, Samwise Gamgee crawl between the troll's legs as a means of escape, only to be cornered by the edge of a wall. A sound of heavy chain metal reached his ears and he was there long before any of the humans could discern its presence. He pulled on it with a loud growl slipping from his throat. As it was attached by the collar around its neck, it wobbled the troll and prevented the crushing of the small hobbit. It stumbled and swung, catching Boromir off guard and succeeding in swiping the Gondorian off his feet and to the side wall. Luckily, the strike was more accidental than intended thus wasn't as deadly for the human.

Boromir survived the swipe and was saved by Aragorn before an orc took advantage of his dazed state.

Sinthra stubbornly held on to the troll's chains and Gimli slings his axe at it, succeeding on hitting his shoulder but also on getting it angrier. He digs his feet as the beast retaliates with a swing of his mace. Gimli dives to the side before the crypt he once stood on explodes from the massive force of the large mace. Sinthra growls and spots the elf on the second level.

"Legolas!" He roared, dodging a swipe from the angry troll.

One word seemed enough for the elf to understand and when Sinthra pulled again, this time dragging the troll forward, Legolas, with feline grace, leaped aboard its back and shot one dead set arrow in its head. Sinthra released its chains and backed away as the large troll fell. He was swept away by the battle and once again covered the backs of his fellow companions. He let loose a small wave of his aura and hacked away stunned and paralyzed orcs and felt himself rumble when the earth rattled once again by a massive body picking itself up from where it fell. His eyes glowed and turned, determined to end the troll once and for all, only to be disrupted by other orcs hunting weaker prey. Three of the hobbits were being cornered, having separated from Gandalf and he snarled as he countered them from behind.

_'__Annoying creatures'_ he thought, stalking in from behind and killing with nary a thought. A haze started to form in his mind but caught himself, pausing on his attack. That was dangerous. He had to control himself lest he massacre the entire room along with his companions.

"Sinthra!" A warning yell before the troll, back on it's feet, whipped his long chain on their party. He acted on reflex and separated the huddled hobbits as it came down. He immediately let out a menacing trickle of his aura at the troll and gained its attention before it could attack Frodo. But now being the only person closest to the ring bearer, his attention diverted from evading the troll's assaults to the hobbit's relative safety and the rest of the orc's movements.

Without warning, his arm reached out and seized an arrow right before Frodo's eyes. Time seemed to cease as Sinthra let out a breath of relief but was caught short as Frodo abruptly shoved him away with all the might his small body could force.

Suddenly, a cry of despair and Sinthra, just as everyone else, turned at the sound Sam's wail. Their eyes fell on the front end of a large spear held down by the insufferable troll and widened by the scene. Sin couldn't take much more, as well it seemed, their entire party.

A blast of adrenaline pumped their spirits and took all but a few minutes to end the remaining orcs to focus their strength on the troll. Merry and Pippin vaulted on its back and started stabbing full force. Gandalf and Gimli started swiping at its feet. Legolas took aim at the front and Sinthra followed the hobbits and grabbed at its collar. He tossed Pippin and Merry to Boromir's awaiting arms and leaned back with his full strength to give the elf perfect aim.

Legolas released and the arrow shot straight inside its bellowing mouth and up the brain, killing for good. Sinthra holds and stands with perfect grace as the beast finally fell. He smirks, satisfied only to be wiped off by the sounds of Aragorn's distressed cry. Sinthra concentrates and let out a breathe unnoticed by the company. Aragorn rolls the boy over and sighs a big breath of relief as they all hear the groan and gasps for breath. Gandalf leans back on a pillar in hard relief. They all exchanged smiles all around with a nod from the dragon.

"I'm all right." Frodo reassures the party with a hoarse tone. "I'm not hurt." But Aragorn furrowed his eyes in disbelief.

"You should be dead! That spear would have skewered a wild boar."

"I think there's more to this hobbit than meets the eye." commented a knowing Gandalf.

Frodo pulled open his buttoned shirt and reveals his gleaming armor within.

"Mithril!" Gimli exclaimed and looked approvingly down the hobbit. "You are full of surprises, master Baggins." And in a rare moment in the Fellowship, they all agreed without complaint. Their moment, however was cut short by a sudden echo of beating drums. Gandalf took lead.

"To the Bridge of Khazad-dum!"

[_End_]

* * *

Any type of Review is welcomed. Thank you.


End file.
